“The only thing you can do with a lobbyist gift is use it at that time, so if you go to dinner, that food goes in your stomach. With a campaign check, you can use that for all types of resources. That’s what we should be focusing on,” said Ellington, suggesting that campaign finance reform should be the top priority.

The proposed restriction on lobbyist gifts died in the Senate. Some Senators said the measure went too far, while others said it didn’t go far enough.